Quarantine

I haven't blogged much lately.  Our family is at the tail end of a three week quarantine.  So we have just not left the house - except for me.   The kids have had covid.  Scott and I are fully vaccinated so we didn't have to quarantine but we really have for the most part. And they are all completely fine now!  I'm super thankful because the kids have had super mild cases.  Just fever for a couple of days and that's it.  And this happened in a slow part of our summer when we were able to just stay home and not miss much and get it all over with before school starts.  

I did a live event for Compassion one night.  Laurie was supposed to do it with me and it would have been so fun but to be safe - Harper filled in.  And she did a great job.  She loves to do things like that so I was so thankful she could help me.  

I've spent a lot of time sitting at my kitchen table and working.  And a lot of time cleaning out things and trying to get a little more organized before school starts back in two weeks.  

I got some cute things from Wonderfully Made Clothing. 

She has CUTE clothes for women and teens/tweens.  If you are BTS shopping - this is a great place to look! 

I LOVE this dress.  I wear this a TON the rest of the summer and fall.  

The girls have spent a LOT of time on FaceTime with their friends.  I didn't even know you could FaceTime more than one person.  Harper had to teach me this.  I'm about to try it out with my friends! 

We have had some serious gaming going on around here. ha! Scott had gotten rid of Disney plus but we brought it back for this month and I think the kids watched every disney movie ever made.  It's so hot outside and we can't go anywhere so movies it is! We go for walks and I take them on a ride to Sonic most days.  It's actually been a nice low key time.  

And Scott built and painted his own custom corn hole set for us.  He had been wanting one and decided he could make a nicer set than he could buy.  He's such a perfectionist.  It turned out great.  

One of my best friends came to town and I had to miss out getting to see her.  That was the biggest bummer.  But I photo shopped myself into a picture to make me feel better. ha! 

Covid is bad again and there is so much anxiety and uncertainty again over everything.  I'm praying for all of you to stay healthy.  I hope you have a good weekend.  If you need us - we will be here at our house.  Probably watching a movie or cleaning out a closet.  

 

Stuff I'm Loving

 I thought I would do a fun post on "Stuff I'm Loving" right now!  It's just a bunch of random things that I have loved lately! 

I saw this a couple of times on Instagram before I ordered.  My girls have SUPER thick hair and I have dry hair so we have all tried it and love it.  It's just makes your hair smooth and soft.  

I LOVE this dress!!! I have been wearing it constantly.  It's very cool and comfortable.  I wear it with sandals or sneakers and it's so cute! 

I ordered a few BeautyCounter products recently.  I got some matte products I use in the morning that help my skin to not be so oily.  I am really liking them.  I also somehow got this resurfacing peel for free when I ordered and I love it.  I can tell a difference in my skin the morning after I use it.  If ya'll need Beauty Counter - message me and I will hook you up with my friend Maura.  It's great stuff.

I have to say that since I started using skin care about a year ago - I have seen a huge change in my skin.  I'm inching towards 50 and I haven't and probably won't do Botox (I'm not anti it I just don't know that I will do it) so I'm all about investing in some good products! 

This smoked Salmon from Sam's.  I'm obsessed with smoked salmon lately.  I put it on salads.  This is so good! 

When Calls the Heart season 8.  The girls and I watch an episode of this every night.  We are SO invested. I think I love watching with them more than anything.  We looked up all the actors on instagram and are so excited they started filming season 9 yesterday!!! We are just obsessed with the show.  I told them that before Covid - they have a weekend in Canada in october most years where you can go and do a tour of the set and meet all the actors.  They flipped out over it.  I guess if that ever comes back - that would be the ultimate girls trip for us! We are total Hearties! 

I wore this dress on the 4th of July and I love it!!! It's SO cute! They have it in pink and white too! 

I got this swimsuit after seeing it on Brittany Young (Certified Celebrator) and it's so cute! The big ruffle distracts you from a lot. ha ha ha! 

And that's just a few things I"m loving right now! 

Lately

We have had a pretty low key last week.  I've had a lot of work things going on but we spent a lot of time at home.  

Monday I had a meeting at church for a new mom's ministry and I saw my friend Ashley.  I don't get to see her often but I always love when I do.  

Hollis and Will Holden got to go to Kanakuk day camp last week for half the week.  Hollis ended up getting a cold on Thursday so I kept them home the rest of the week just to be cautious.  There are all kinds of things going around so since we are able to - we have been just staying home.  They had a blast the days they were there.  

We filmed a campaign with an ad agency and a major company.  It was a lot of fun but a lot of work.  The kids did great.  WH was completely in his element.  They told him to make the living room messy and he was so excited. ha! 

It was so interesting getting to do this and the kids loved it! 

I spent all day with Susan Tuesday and we drove around to the three Beautiful Lives Thrift stores in our area.  They are our ministry partners and we did some pictures, etc.  It was a lot of fun.  

We also went to KLRC and filmed a few podcast episodes.  

The summer is flying by.  We only have 4 weeks left.  We have only a few small things planned for these next 4 weeks so hopefully we can relax and have a little fun before the crazy of fall starts back.  

We spent our whole weekend at home.  Hollis and Scott weren't 100% so we rested, watched movies, got home projects done, caught up on laundry and watched church on TV.  I have to say I hated watching church on TV.  It took me back to April 2020 when we had to and I never want to do that again.  I love being at church in person.  It's just not the same.  

Hope ya'll are having a great week!!! Enjoy summer! 

 

CAMP

Last Monday, bright and early after we had been up late for the 4th, we dropped our girl off to head to Junior High church camp.  

She was so excited! I wanted to stick around and watch the busses drive off but we are in junior high now. ha! No one was doing that so I let her fly.  

They went to Falls Creek in OK which is amazing and big! 

To say she had a good week would be a huge understatement.  She got so close with several of the girls.  She re-committed her life to Christ.  She told me she really feels like she knows how to hear from God now.  She's been listening to worship music non stop and texting her friends about God.  She is on a camp high and I'm loving it.  

While she was gone - I tried to do fun things with the other two.  Hollis had a LOT of friend dates.  It was good for her to get to have friends over.  We went  for ice cream on the square.  

We got our first snow cone of the summer.  

She had more friend dates! 

I met my friend Paige and Will Holden gets three for the price of one with them! We went to a park/splash park and then had lunch.  It's always fun with this group of crazy boys! 

Hollis had a day at the farm with her friend.  

And she even had a sleep over.  We have met a family at church who have kids the same sex and ages as ours.  Our girls are days apart.  And all the kids have hit it off and I love the parents.  So we had got to have dinner Friday night with them and then the middle girls got a sleep over since big sisters were at camp together.  

And then Saturday we picked Harper back up.  When she got off the bus and hugged me she said "it was the best week of my life".   I'm so thankful! 

Tuesday night - I'm doing a fun "camp" themed livestream.  Laurie is joining me.  It will be like a night of being in a camp cabin with me and Laurie.  We will talk camp songs, camp food, laugh a lot and we want you to join us!! We are doing this with Compassion and by sponsoring a child - you will get a ticket to watch the livestream. 

More importantly - sponsoring a child is one of the best things you can do.  We sponsor three and I have been on two trips with Compassion and have seen how your money makes a direct impact on your kid by meeting their physical needs - food, school, supplies, clothes - and because it's all done through local churches - those churches get to share Jesus with the families that they are helping.  It's the Gospel in action in a very real way.  Pray about sponsoring a kid.  The pandemic has MAJORLY impacted these areas in poverty.  Food shortages and work shortages are worse than ever.  Compassion has been able to be a life saver in the last year and a half and it's because of people like you who give to change a child and a family's life forever.  This is a tangible way to be a missionary.  

Sign up HERE - you won't regret it.  And then wear your best camp outfit and bring your best camp snacks and join me and Laurie next Tuesday!!

http://compassion.com/SummerCampKelly 

 

God bless America

The fourth of July is my favorite holiday.  It always has been.  I love everything about it.  It's summer.  I love the food. I love hanging out with friends and family.  I love fireworks.  I love red, white and blue clothes.  And it's a stress free holiday unlike things like Christmas, Valentines, etc.  It's just easy and happy and it's my favorite day.  

We always do the 4th with the Ormons.  We celebrated two days early this year.  They were headed to see family and we had plans at church so we did the 4th on the 2nd.  We ate hamburgers and hung out and had so much fun.  Laurie and her super white teeth and I had the best time! 

We usually set off fireworks but since it was early we didn't.  So we didn't light a ton of money on fire and I wasn't too sad about that.  The kids did do sparklers.  

We headed to church on the 4th in our red, white and blue clothes. It was a great morning.  

Our church has an annual "Fireworks at the crosses" on their big lawn every year.  It's all afternoon/night event and they always have a special time of doing baptisms before the fireworks.  Thousands of people come.  This was our first time to go and we were so excited.  We got there around 4:30 before it started and stayed until after 10.  There were food trucks and everyone brings tents and chairs.  A lot of small groups sit together and the kids play and everyone brings food.  They have live music.  

Harper got to hang out with some of her friends.  This is the kind of thing that brings the best memories for me.  Church events where I ran around with my friends while the adults enjoyed time together.  It made my heart so happy to have something like this.  

This is the pre teen pastor.  He started at the church almost exactly when we did and he has made such an impact on my kids.  My girls just love him and his wife.  He's been a huge gift to us! 

I"m thankful I have been making new friends also! I still love and have all my old friends but there is always room for new ones too! 

And we are finding our place - visiting small groups and finding ways to serve.  I'm excited about all the opportunities we will have to serve God in this place.  

I keep thinking I will blog about changing churches but it's just complicated and personal and hard to put to words.  What I CAN say is we prayed and prayed about it and we feel God ordained the whole move for our family.  And I have SO much joy and thankfulness over it all.  Our whole family has been flourishing and experiencing revival and I'm just extremely grateful.  It was VERY difficult to leave and I am not a big believer in changing churches unless there is a very big reason or God moves you.  I love the local church.  Yes it can be a mess.  It's made up of messy humans who are not perfect like God.  So there is no perfect church.  But finding a community who you can serve God with and who help you grow closer in your walk with God is EVERYTHING.  Don't give up if you are in a place of being out of fellowship with church or if you have walked away.  We need to have a group of believers to be with and work together to share Jesus with more than ever before.  

Will Holden made about 3-4 friends that night.  I crack up at how easily he can make friends.  He was hugging kids that he had never met before and inviting them to our house.  He had the time of his life.  

The best part of the night was that 78 people got baptized.  Our church has been growing through a revival and has baptized 600 people in the last 2 months.  It's been incredible to witness.  And I think that's one reason I'm so grateful God brought us here at this time.  I needed revival in my own life and in my family and now we are seeing it in church and it's just amazing! 

It was hot but it wasn't as hot as it could be in July.  We loved getting to visit with people and sit and watch the baptisms and fireworks.  And once the sun went down it was cool and it was just the best! 

They put on a great display and then we got home late and had to get up super early to take Harper to church to meet the junior high students because she left for camp on Monday.  And I'm DYING to hear what a week she is having! 

I hope y'all had a great fourth also!